Several problems exist in preventing various persons from engaging in unhealthy practices and/or preventing them from harming themselves while they are bedridden or present in a bed or crib of some type. For example, often the elderly have problems with senility and are incontinent individuals as well. Sometimes these problems are compounded by the fact that the incontinent individuals lack control over their bowels, so that they wet their bed and deposit feces in their environment where they sleep, eat, etc. Moreover such individuals can cause themselves to be infected by scratching various parts of their body, causing infection due to the presence of high concentrations of bacteria in the fecal and urine material present, e.g., under the fingernails.
Such people are not "dangerous" in the context of being criminals or seeking to inflict violent harm on others; but they are capable, if unrestrained, of injuring themselves. Such persons do not need the ultimate degree of restraint, as do dangerous criminals; but they do need to be restrained to prevent them from injuring themselves.
Since they are not dangerous to the general public, it is highly desirable to restrain them gently and effectively while at the same time avoiding impairing their circulation, which can be particularly critical in restraint of the elderly. Additionally, some form of restraint is often necessary to protect disoriented post-operative surgical patients from removing necessary equipment, e.g., intravenous tubing, catheters, etc., until such time as they have totally recovered from the anesthesia and/or painkillers employed to ease post-operative pain.
The desired objectives are to gently, yet effectively, restrain such patients or individuals in such a way as to avoid the unhealthy practices which may take place and which are referred to hereinabove while avoiding impairment of circulation.
The present invention accomplishes these seemingly contradictory objectives while permitting free movement of the patient's limbs in several directions, such as permitting them to rotate their respective bound limb(s), e.g., hands and wrists, and to exercise their restrained limbs in both inward and outward central lateral directions as well. The lateral central movement is restrained between stops located on the central bar portion of the restraining device whereas the rotational movement is unrestricted in accordance with one preferred embodiment of this invention.
Various attempts have been made in prior art devices to restrain the limbs and other body parts of patients. However, by and large, most of these devices involve total or near-total immobility of the party's limbs and other parts and will be discussed in more detail as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,925, issued to Witzel, is directed to a quick-release limb holder apparatus for releasable affixation about a patient's limb to secure the patient, as desired, to an affixed object, such as a hospital bed, in order to immobilize the patient. An adjustable and independently separable series of straps encircles the patient's limb in a manner which permits the patient to be quickly freed from a restrained position within the apparatus without necessitating the complete disassembly of adjustment straps as well as obviating the need for readjustment of the straps upon reaffixation of the apparatus about the patient's limb. A cuff is interposed between the encircling straps and the patient's skin to cushion and insulate the patient's limb from forces exerted by the encircling straps to attempt to thereby minimize any potential for abrasion, irritation or other discomfort.
However, it will be observed that when pressure is applied upon exertion of movement past a given position upon the patient's restrained limb(s), directly by the series of straps, buckles and swivels, much like a choker chain on an animal; viz., the more force that is exerted by the restrained person to move this limb(s), the greater will be the compressing pressure exerted by the Witzel buckles and swivels. Such pressure is likely to impinge on nerves and blood vessels impairing circulation and resulting in pain and bruises, which is contrary to the objectives of the present invention, viz., to permit the restrained party to obtain exercise by movement both centrally laterally and rotationally without in any way increasing the compressive pressure exerted by the restraint. Thus it will be observed that in the structure of the restraint system of this invention, none of the metal work encircles the restraining loop(s) or cuff(s), which is not true in the restraint of Witzel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,781, issued to Gaylord, Jr., is directed to a restraining device for bedridden persons, which restraining device prevents lateral movement of the limbs and other encircled body parts but severely restricts rotational movement thereof at the point of restraint. The Gaylord, Jr. restraint device fails to enable the patient or other restrained individual to have the benefits of movement in several separate directions between stops and could very well exert undesirable pressure on the limbs resulting in bed sores and abrasions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,143, issued to Bell, is directed to a restraint device having a bar separating two leg cuffs which would prevent heart patients from crossing their legs, which permits freer blood circulation. The Bell device, of course, fails to enable the patient to have independent lateral movement of each restrained limb and prevents rotational movement thereof at the point of restraint. When the cuffs (12) and (14) are made of metal, pressure exerted there against by the restrained ankle of the patient will produce pressure with its consequent deprivation of circulation to the patient at the point of restraint. This is undesirable and does not occur with the use of the device of this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,718, issued to Murcott, is directed to the use of limb restraint devices at the vicinity of the patient's wrists and ankles, which restraints prohibit the inward lateral movement of the upper restrained limbs and apparently prevent upward and both inward and outward lateral movement of the lower limbs, as shown in FIG. 1 of Murcott. Moreover, since the rigid metal loops (14) are part of the structure which encircles the restrained limbs, exertion of force there against by the wearer will necessarily produce unyielding pressure in the vicinity of the restraint strap. The Murcott restraint device thereby prohibits lateral exercise of the arms by the patient so restrained in an inward manner and prevents both lateral inward and outward movement of the legs, which undoubtedly would cause a detrimental effect upon the sense of well being of the restrained individual. Applicant's restraint system, on the other hand, permits lateral movement in both directions, viz., inwardly and outwardly with respect to both restrained limbs as well as permitting free rotational movement thereof both clockwise and counterclockwise.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,026, issued to Van Pelt, is directed to a restraining device for restraining the limbs of a patient by securing its encircling strap(s) directly to a fixed object(s), such as a stationary rod, such as a bed. When such Van Pelt restraints are tethered directly to bed side rails, e.g., exercising movement in both inward and outward directions in the central portion of the bed would not be available to the restrained anatomical body. As will be noted from FIG. 1 of Van Pelt, the Van Pelt restraining device fails to permit the central lateral inward and outward movement of the restrained limb within stops. This movement is permitted by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,969, issued to Heyman, is directed to a restraint device wherein a strap and ring arrangement encircles the limb of the wearer at the point where the restraint is imposed. Consequently tightening of the encircling member can occur within certain limits when the patient pulls or otherwise exerts pressure in a direction of movement away from the support where the other end of the strap is affixed. Moreover, the wrist restraint of Heyman suffers from the same shortcomings as those discussed above in regard to Van Pelt and prevents lateral inward movement of the wearer's limbs. The Heyman restraint fails to accomplish the objectives of this invention which include central movement of the restrained limbs laterally both inwardly and outwardly.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 254,214, issued to Leary, is directed to an ornamental design for a limb and/or body restraint, as shown and described in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This design patent fails to disclose the structure of the restraint system of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,525, issued to Dragan, is directed to an athletic wrap adapted to encircle a portion of the body of the wearer, e.g., the elbow joint, to lessen the likelihood of an athlete exerting sufficient strain or stress on the wrapped body part to create a debilitating condition such as "tennis elbow". Dragan fails to disclose the present invention.